Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Ibrahim Dremali: S.Carolina Imam In 2021: 'Hamas Has A Lot Of Tunnels - Special Rockets - Very Strong Surprise Soon'
Ibrahim Dremali: S.Carolina Imam In 2021: 'Hamas Has A Lot Of Tunnels - Special Rockets - Very Strong Surprise Soon'
Imam Of Grand Strand Islamic Society Raised Money For Hamas - Was Put On No Fly List - Is Part Of Gaza 'Martyr' Clan
December 14, 2023
Did a South Carolina Imam Know the October 7 Attack Was Coming?
Ibrahim Dremali stated in 2021 interview that Hamas was planning a "strong surprise."
December 4, 2023 by Joe Kaufman
Following the October 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel, reports came out claiming that Hamas had been planning the brutal attack for three years. This puts the spotlight on a South Carolina Muslim leader, Ibrahim Dremali, who, during a live interview, stated that Hamas was planning a "strong surprise" involving new rockets he said Hamas had obtained. If Dremali did know about this far-reaching act of terrorism – an act that included American abductions – perpetrated by a group found on the US terror list and whom he has a relationship with, prior to the attack taking place, this would make him an accessory to the crime in need of facing justice.
Ibrahim Dremali is the Imam of the Grand Strand Islamic Society (GSIS), located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Previously, he led the Islamic Center of Boca Raton (ICBR), in Boca Raton, Florida; the Des Moines Islamic Center (DMIC), in Des Moines, Iowa; and the Islamic Center of Greater Austin (ICGA), in Austin, Texas. Lately, he has been focused on organizing anti-Israel rallies with offensive signs invoking Adolf Hitler's name and repeated calls for Israel's destruction.
In May 2021, Dremali did an interview for an educational group he was then-Director of, Arees University, to discuss his knowledge about Hamas, praising Hamas and revealing things regarding the terrorist group that others have not been privy to. He, as well, took aim at Jews with the most of vile of antisemitism. The individual conducting the interview was doing so from Malaysia, where there is a branch of the university. There are also branches in Houston, Texas and Istanbul, Turkey.
During the interview, Dremali denied Israel's existence, telling his audience "Israel is not a country… Palestine belongs to the Muslims… not the Jews." He brought up the anti-Semitic libel of Jews controlling the world. He said, "They control the whole world – the Jews – by the money." He spoke of a violent scenario, whereby all of the Arab countries surrounding Israel would unify to annihilate the Jews. He stated, "The people, they want to make jihad. The people want to open the border… [I]f the Arab leaders open the borders of Palestine… the Jews, they'll be inside that ocean."
In the same interview, Dremali mentioned his early life in Gaza and how he had/has a relationship to those in Hamas. He stated, "Brothers and sisters, Hamas was created after I came to America, but I know the people." He stated that he used to perform in a "play" for Ahmad Yassin, the founder of Hamas, and his (Dremali's) father. He said, at the time, Yassin ran a mosque in the area. He said the show was about "the history of Palestine" and that he (Dremali) played the individual being sacrificed, a shaheed or dead martyr. Smiling, he said that he prays for Palestinian children to have shahadas and become shaheeds, themselves.
Concerning Dremali's claim that he came to the US after Hamas' creation, that is false. Hamas was established in 1987, during the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada (violent uprising). Dremali arrived in the US, in 1988, following his graduation from Al-Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt.
Dremali grew up within a huge Dremali family clan in Gaza, many members of which have been killed in the current Israel-Hamas war. On November 23rd, Dremali wrote on his Facebook page, "28 of my family were martyred by Zionist warplanes and American weapons. May Allah have mercy on all the martyrs, and may Allah curse everyone who was the cause." Days later, he upped it to 32 family members killed in the fighting.
Dremali told the Malaysian podcast interviewer that he has (now, probably had) five sisters, each of whom have had at least five children, all groomed to be terrorists. As stated by Dremali, "All my sisters, minimum minimum have five kids. So they have a lot of kids, all the intention to make mujahideen to liberate Palestine.
Besides his residence in the US, Dremali has a second home in Gaza City that he began building during his stay in Florida – a five story building, which too may no longer be standing. At that time, his then-wife, Lamyaa Hashim, was running a Hamas-linked charity, the Health Resource Center for Palestine (HRCP), which started in August 1998 and was shut down in April 2003. Dremali served as Vice President; Syed Khawer Ahmad, a website developer for Hamas' Gaza affiliate, Al-Jamia Al-Islamia, was its Secretary/Treasurer/Webmaster; and Dremali's brother, Ishaq, was HRCP Gaza Operations Manager.
Also, around that time, in October 2000, Dremali spoke at a rally (not unlike the ones he is currently organizing), where Israeli flags were burned and genocidal slogans were shouted, including "With jihad we'll claim our land, Zionist blood will wet the sand." Dremali told the crowd "not to be sad for those who were martyred and to not be afraid to die for what they believe in," haunting words alluding to terror-related conflicts, like what is going on in Gaza, today.
Between then and now, Dremali would be placed on the Federal No-Fly list, something he attributes to this author, and be arrested by US immigration agents for marriage fraud. He was also arrested and spent time behind bars, in Israel.
Keeping all of this in mind, it must be noted that, during the Malaysian interview, Dremali told its viewers to donate money to Hamas. He further spoke of a future big surprise that Hamas was planning. When asked about Hamas tunnels in Gaza, Dremali stated, "I'm so happy with that. A lot of tunnels. By the way, you're gonna be very surprised – very strong surprise soon." He said Hamas was "gonna hit those people" using "special rockets," most likely alluding to the huge arsenal of rockets that Hamas was accumulating and planning to launch simultaneously in 2023.
Here, South Carolina Imam, Ibrahim Dremali, told people to provide material support to a terrorist organization and that Hamas was planning a surprise attack on Israel using rockets, what appears to be knowledge of the October 7 attack. This attack, it must be added, included the taking of a number of American hostages.
Given this evidence against him and his documented history of incitement, Dremali, a native of the Gaza Strip, should be taken into custody immediately and brought up on charges for, in the very least, fundraising for a US-recognized terrorist organization. He should be stripped of his American citizenship, which may have been fraudulently obtained. If this can be determined, he should be deported back to Gaza, where he has said his "heart is."
An extensive investigation must also be launched, in order to ascertain what Dremali knew prior to the October 7 attacks or anything Hamas-related he has knowledge of thereafter. If he was aware of a future terrorist attack – one that would include the abduction of Americans – and then asked people to donate money to its perpetrators, that is collusion and Dremali would be a co-conspirator to the crime.
Ibrahim Dremali's continued presence in the United States and his support for Hamas and the destruction of Israel constitutes a grave threat to national security. This cannot be ignored. Dremali must be held accountable, and justice must be served.
Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/did-a-south-carolina-imam-know-the-october-7-attack-was-coming/
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